States Line Up to Expand Medicaid – After the Election

Several states that were initially reluctant to implement the Affordable Care Act are now moving forward with plans to expand coverage under Medicaid after the November elections...

October 2, 2014

Several states that were initially reluctant to implement the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are now moving forward with plans to expand coverage under Medicaid after the November elections. They are being motivated by states like Pennsylvania that have received the federal government's approval to add commercial innovations to the Medicaid program to make it more palatable to conservatives.

This could be a case of "money talks." The bulk of the 27 states already expanding the program are starting to receive billions in federal subsidies for insurers, hospitals and healthcare providers, putting pressure on politicians in other states to do so as well. Some states with Republican governors, such as Indiana, are negotiating with the federal government for agreements, while North Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming are exploring options. But while the turning tide on Medicaid bodes well for Obamacare, Republicans refuse to concede any points in the ideological battle around the healthcare model.